Disable Smilies in This Post. Show Signature: include your profile signature. Only registered users may have signatures.

*If HTML and/or UBB Code are enabled, this means you can use HTML and/or UBB Code in your message.

If you have previously registered, but forgotten your password, click here.

T O P I C R E V I E W

divemaster

Several years ago, after scratch building my 1/96 Saturn V, someone made the comment that you never saw a launchable Saturn V without it's Launch Umbilical Tower [LUT]. The only time you'd see a plain Saturn V was either as a museum piece or for those scant few seconds after launch. Building a LUT had been on my mind ever since.

Because of its complexity, there hasn't been a top manufacturer who has produced a LUT out of plastic, and those that have tried, have produced one that is completely out of scale or completely wrong. If you have some modeling skills, David Maier has produced a paper version in various scales of a LUT that requires some decent modeling skills to produce. So, I've started this long overdue project.

I hope it comes out well, because it will look great with my multiple signed [now up to 28 signatures of those that flew on a Saturn] in order to give it a proper display. It is also available in 1/70, 1/144, 1/96 and, I think, 1/72. He sells them on eBay. It will be a great addition to the Revell or Dragon versions of the big Saturn if you want to put in the work.

apolloprojeckt

That is a big one! Nice work.

Do you also the crawler under it? I believe they have also that in scale 1/72.

divemaster

No. No crawler. I'll be lucky if I ever finish this one. This is physical therapy for my arthritic hands. The trick to PT is if you're going to do it, you want something to show for it. So, rather than going to an office and getting my hands bent in every different direction, I'm still doing the same thing and have something to show for it.

p51

Just curious, has anyone throught to build one of these backed by sheet styrene? I'd think you could do a fair job laminating sheet plastic to that to make something far more sturdy...

divemaster

To be honest with you, if I was to do this over again, I'd back the MLP and the tower with plexiglas. You could also do the different floors on the LUT with either plexi or sheet, but you're talking a LOT of work. As is, the fine detailing will be the hardest thing to do, the basic structure is fairly easy.

You could also back the supporting girders with angled pieces from Plastruct. It all depends on how crazy you want to get... and modelers can get very crazy.

This was simply a combination of my wanting to build a LUT for years and using it as an excuse for physical therapy. I used to be able to whip through something like this in very little time. My hands have really slowed me down to a crawl. But the fun is still there — and I don't have to pay a physical therapist $100 for 20 minutes of pain twice a week.

Norman.King

That's looking good Tracy, but the work involved and skill required to build this paper model has put me off trying to build one for myself (I just don't have the patience to fold all those tiny parts).

Can't wait to see it finished.

apolloprojeckt

Come on Norman. I'm sure you can do that! I have see your other work.

divemaster

Patience is #1-10 on something like this. Skill comes in after that. There's just that thrill of self satisfaction that makes it all worthwhile.

Like many others, I ordered the 1/72 Saturn V. It will be a nice display piece. But it will always bug me that I didn't build it myself. Yes, I did a 1/70 version from Apogee - which looks great - and I know that I built it. But there's nothing greater than saying that you did yourself.

I have honestly lost count as to how many Saturn V's I've built since the 1960's. Each and every time I feel that I can do a better job - and the next one gets built. It's a serious disease.

Oh, and Norman, I found that making the folds over the blunt side of a hobby knife to be invaluable and to make the curved piping, you run the pieces over the handle of the same hobby knife. Little cheats that I've long forgotten about.

But, boy, are my building skills rusty.

divemaster

And if I could get the F-1's in 1/48 scale, THAT would be a REAL project. J-2's would help, too, but there are ways around that.

the clocks running

Would bending tools used for photo etch parts work with the heavier weight paper?

divemaster

Knives.

Retro Rocket

I was working on a high fidelity 1/48th Saturn V, over the years I've built five, one's at the Hornet. I have a really nice thrust structure master and the F-1's were okay, but I started work on a new version, I like what Accurate did with their 1/20th F-1 so I was doing something like that but with fewer parts.

But... with the 1/72nd Dragon available for a fraction of my $5,000 Saturn V, that was put on hold.

the clocks running

quote:Originally posted by Retro Rocket: ...with the 1/72nd Dragon available for a fraction of my $5,000 Saturn V, that was put on hold.

Was $5000 what you invested in building the Saturn V? What is the scale? Do you have photos that you can post? Thanks.

divemaster

LUT is coming around very slowly — but is starting to look good. It's nice to see that time was taken to get the correct details and that everything seems to be to scale.

I have to admit, again, working with paper is a challenge. However, doing this in plastic, correctly, would cost a small fortune to produce. If I was to do another one [ha!] for the 1/72 Dragon Saturn V, I think I'd be going though a lot more Plexiglass and sheet styrene for strength.

divemaster

My LUT is up to floor 12 (of 18 plus the crane) in 1/96 scale. It is BIG (and, no, I have yet to put a Saturn on it, yet). But when you realize that the whole thing is 100 times larger, you get an even larger WOW factor. But the construction is really kicking my butt. I'll get some more photos up on my website within the week of the basic structure.

divemaster

David sent me the parts JUST for the 1/72 MLP, which I will build over Plexiglas to support the weight of the model. Just seeing that MLP in 1/72 should scare away a lot of people

And I'm actually up to floor 11 of the LUT right now. Knowing that there are still 7 floors to go [plust the crane] and the swing arms and all of the piping is going to make this one huge PAPER model. I honestly thought this was going to be an easy build - after all, it's paper - not so. But if you want a LUT in any of the three scales, this is a real challenge!

After this, I'm going back to the comforts of resin.

divemaster

Finally up to floor 16 (out of 18) of the LUT tower... with the Colby Crane attached the to 18th floor. Once I get up to the 18th floor, it's time to put in the staircases. Probably one of the hardest models I've ever built. I think it will be very satisfying whenever I get it finished and actually put a Saturn V on next to it.

the clocks running

I can't wait to see some new photos of the LUT!

Jonjonzilla

Absolutely... Let's see how it all looks!

divemaster

I want to add a few dowels first before I take the next set. You can see some of it in pieces on the LUT section at saturnvmodel.info if you'd like. The floors are divided into four distinct sections. When I join them, I want small dowels in each corner of each section for strength and to keep everything even. I also want to secure the LUT Tower from underneath to hold the weight a little better. Then I'll add some of the staircases and the diagonal support sturctures

I keep making notes on how I would improve the build if I was ever crazy enough to build a second one...right down to the order of assembly of certain structures.

divemaster

Spent a big $1.85 on some wooden dowels today. Now I can get back to work. Saw some photos about how someone lit their 1/96 LUT using old scale train station lighting. Totally ingenious and looks perfect for the model. Waiting to see who comes up with the first scale xenon strobes (not me).